The first lady’s concerns prompted the president to challenge Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff and a central figure in the administration’s hardline immigration policies, according to the Journal. The report follows major Republican losses in the midterm elections, amid voter dissatisfaction with the first two years of Trump’s second term.
Melania Trump’s concerns and Minnesota raids
Melania Trump has reportedly questioned the deportation campaign before. In March, the Journal reported that she was among advisers who warned Trump the drive had gone too far, as tensions rose in Minnesota after raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also took part in discussions with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other senior advisers about the administration’s response to violence and whether to change its approach.
Immigration has since become a major political issue for Republicans. Trump lost much of the support he gained among Hispanic voters in the 2024 presidential election. About six in 10 Hispanic voters nationwide said they supported Democratic candidates in their local House races.
Miller also faced widespread criticism for comments after two American citizens were killed in Minneapolis. On January 24, Border Patrol officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, during an immigration enforcement operation. Miller called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and an “assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.” He had earlier used the same descriptions for Renee Good, who was shot and killed inside her car by an ICE agent. Miller is a defendant in a lawsuit Good’s family filed against the agent and other Trump administration officials.
Melania Trump has generally avoided commenting on her husband’s political decisions, though she has sometimes taken positions that differ from the administration’s. She has been involved in efforts related to Russia’s war in Ukraine and helped broker a ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky.
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